14 signs & symptoms of kidney disease you should not ignore!

Symptoms of kidney disease is usually silent so beware if you suffer any of these symptoms, they could be a warning sign.

By: Dr Anitha Anchan | | Updated: March 10, 2016 9:53 am

The worst part about living with kidney disease is that it is a silent killer. However, what makes it more dangerous is the fact that it usually gets recognized at an extremely late stage. Not many people are aware that the symptoms of kidney disease are not silent, but redundant enough to ignore it at its early onset. However, in some cases, the symptoms might not even show up until the condition becomes critical. Therefore, it is essential for you to recognise the symptoms of kidney diseases early so that you can seek treatment for the same. Know, are you at risk of developing kidney diseases.

Here are 14 signs and symptoms of kidney disease you need to be aware of:

1. Changes in your urinary function

The first symptom of kidney disease is a change in the amount and frequency of the urine you pass. There may be:

Increase or decrease in amount of urine you pass
Dark coloured urine (darker than usual)
Feeling the urge to urinate but unable to do so when you get to the restroom
Increase or decrease in frequency, especially at night. According to Dr Avinash Ignatius, senior consultant nephrologist DaVita, Pune Region, ‘Frequent urination at night is one of the most common and early symptom of chronic kidney disease and it should not be ignored even though it appears to be harmless. Other symptoms of the disease usually develop at later stage when the kidneys have lost approximately 80% of its function.’ Here are 10 tips to help you prevent kidney diseases before it takes shape.

2. Difficulty or pain while urinating

Sometimes you may have difficulty, feel pressure or pain while voiding (emptying the bladder). This could indicate a urinary tract infection responsible for pain or burning during urination. If the infection spreads to your kidneys, it might cause fever and pain in your back, too. Here are eight tests to check if your kidneys are working fine.

3. Blood in the urine

This is a symptom of kidney disease which is a definite cause for concern. Whenever you see this, do not ignore it. Visit a doctor immediately. Here are more reasons why you should worry when you spot blood in the urine.

4. Foamy urine

According to Dr Deepa Jayaram, a leading nephrologist practising in Mumbai, foamy urine is caused due to the leakage of protein from the person’s body and is another symptom of kidney disease. Read to know what your urine says about your health.

5. Swelling or oedema

Your kidneys are responsible for the removal of waste and extra fluid from your body. When they are unable to do so, this extra fluid builds up in your body. Further, Dr Deepa explains, ‘This symptom is caused because of the body’s inability to get rid of excess water and salts from the body. So a person with this condition will notice swelling of the feet, ankles, puffiness of the face and tightness of the hands.’ This is also known as oedema. Here are 10 causes of facila swelling that you need to know.

6. Extreme fatigue, anaemia and generalised weakness

Your kidneys produce a hormone called erythropoietin which helps red blood cells carry oxygen. When they malfunction, the levels of this hormone drop drastically. This causes a drop in the number of red blood cells in your body resulting in anaemia which also leads to symptoms like generalised weakness and extreme fatigue. Here are other top causes of severe fatigue that you need to know.

7. Dizziness and Inability to concentrate

Anaemia associated with kidney disease also depletes your brain of oxygen which may cause dizziness, trouble with concentration, etc. However, you can try these 10 simple exercises to boost your brain power.

8. Feeling cold all the time

Kidney disease is known to cause anaemia, which also causes you to feel cold even when in a warm surrounding. Pyelonephritis (kidney infection) may also cause fever with chills. Extreme fatigue and exhaustion can also be responsible for this symptom. Here are five reasons for kidney damage that you should know.

9. Skin rashes and itching

This is a symptom that is commonly confused with other more harmless conditions like an allergy, but rashes could also indicate kidney disease and failure. Renal failure causes waste build-up in your blood. This causes severe itching and skin rashes. Apart from kidney disease, there are other reasons for itchy skin you must know about.

10. Ammonia breath and metallic taste

Another very indicative symptom of kidney disease, this is often missed while looking for indications of kidney disease. Kidney failure increases the level of urea in the blood (uraemia). This urea is broken down to ammonia in the saliva causing urine-like bad breath called ammonia breath. It is also usually associated with an unpleasant metallic taste (dysgeusia) in the mouth. Here are six common causes of bad breath that you should know.

11. Nausea and vomiting

The build-up of waste products in your blood in kidney disease can also cause nausea and vomiting. Here are 13 reasons why you should worry if you feel nauseous all the time.

12. Lack of appetite

One suffers from this symptom due to the build up of toxins and waste materials in the body. Dr Deepa Jayaram, says, ‘Since kidney disease usually presents without any symptoms, the build up of toxins tend to lead the way when it comes to diagnosis. Therefore, when seen with other symptoms, lack of appetite can be one that indicates kidney disease.’ You should read this if you suffer from loss of appetite.

13. Shortness of breath

‘If the kidney disease is severe enough, it can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs leading to a feeling of breathlessness.’, says Dr Deepa Jayaram, leading nephrologist. Apart from that, anaemia, a common side-effect of kidney disease, starves your body of oxygen making you suffer from breathlessness. Here are seven other causes of breathlessness that you didn’t know about.

14. Pain in the back or sides

This is a common indicator of kidney disease but is not seen in everyone who suffers from the condition. The pain is characteristic and you may feel a severe cramping pain that spreads from the lower back into the groin. This symptom could be an indicator of many conditions, like:

Kidney stone or one in the ureter could be a cause of this pain.
Conditions like polycystic kidney disease — an inherited kidney disorder, which causes many fluid-filled cysts in the kidneys).
Interstitial cystitis — a chronic inflammation of the bladder wall.

Here’s nephrologist Dr Deepa Jayaram, telling us more about the symptoms of kidney disease: